Congressman urges protection for seniors' benefits

WASHINGTON, DC --?Congressman John Garamendi (D-Fairfield) restated Tuesday he believes cuts in benefits in Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid/MediCal are counterproductive and can be avoided by finding specific savings elsewhere.

"Here are four facts that I hope are on the minds of everyone involved in this conversation: One, Medicare is currently forbidden by law to directly negotiate with pharmaceutical companies on drug prices; two, Medicare is currently forbidden by law to import drugs from countries with rigorous safety standards, no matter the cost difference; three, fraud, errors and unnecessary procedures in Medicare are estimated to cost roughly $50 billion and four, Social Security is currently anticipated to be able to pay all benefits in the program until 2036," said Garamendi, who served as California's Insurance Commissioner and Lt. Governor.

"We can responsibly reduce the deficit while maintaining?benefits in Medicare and Medicaid, by negotiating drug prices, going after fraudulent claims by providers, and using payment systems that discourage unnecessary services and reward keeping the patient healthy," Garamendi said.

"Cutting Social Security benefits when the system's surplus is projected to reach $3.7 trillion in 2022 makes no sense," Garamendi said. "The average Social Security recipient receives about $14,800 a year, and the program lifts 14 million seniors out of poverty. We must not harm our vulnerable elderly. Social Security works; now is not the time to change it."